


Recovery

by Sinclaironfire



Category: LazyTown
Genre: Angst, BAMF Robbie, Caring Stephanie, Dad Robbie Rotten, Dad Sportacus (LazyTown), Elf Sportacus (LazyTown), Emotional Baggage, Except Robbie, Fae Robbie Rotten, Hurt/Comfort, I have deemed him the most emotionally mature person here, I just enforce them, Injury Recovery, M/M, Recovery, Sportacus Cares, Sportacus has issues, They're Getting Close to Adopting Stephanie, Who wants some hurt comfort?, emotional issues, everyone's got issues, i don't make the rules, robbie cares
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-22
Updated: 2020-06-25
Packaged: 2020-12-28 00:34:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 8,651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21127859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sinclaironfire/pseuds/Sinclaironfire
Summary: Sportacus hadn't been seen for a week.Robbie was nowhere to be found either.Stephanie finds herself caught between the world she once knew and the reality that she now faces.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know where this is going

No one saw Sportacus for a week.

For the town’s only superhero and protector, it caused panic and alarm unheard of in LazyTown. After one day, the children were worried. After day two, the children went around town to see if anyone had seen Sportacus. On day three, missing posters were on every post, fence, and wall. Day four, the children were roving in groups calling out his name. After day five, the town had descended into chaos.

“What’s the number for 911?” Ziggy asked.

“We don’t need 911!” Trixie shouted. “We need the F.B.I.!”

“By the time they get here, it’ll be too late. By my calculations, Sportacus has been missing for,” Pixel gasped. “120 hours!”

“He’s got to be around here somewhere!” Stingy stated. “He wouldn’t just leave us. LazyTown is his home. He’s OUR superhero.”

They fretted and worried and all the while Stephanie stayed away. She hid in her bedroom as her friends rushed about at a frenzy pace. There were two people who knew where Sportacus was and due to the Rules of the Wild, Stephanie was unable to tell the truth. She wanted to, more than anything, but the Wild kept her silent. Sportacus, in the last few moments of consciousness, gave permission for his true self to be known by Stephanie and Stephanie alone. In his defense, the nearly emaciated elf hadn’t been in the right state of mind. In fact, Sportacus was in an incredible state of pain and fatigue when he allowed himself to be seen for what he truly was: a member of the Wild.

There was only one other person in the entire town who knew what Sportacus was and Stephanie hadn’t seen Robbie in a week either. She had done her part when requested. She removed cursed iron net that kept Sportacus trapped and Robbie worked tirelessly to save his life. She wondered where they were now. After Robbie had brought Sportacus back, the two disappeared.

Was she worried?

Naturally. Sportacus was the hero. He was invincible. He could do anything….and he nearly died. Tears nearly came at the memory, but she hid it. Tears wouldn’t help her here. She needed to act. The others were getting too scared and nervous. For the life of her, Stephanie hadn’t a clue no what to tell them. It felt wrong to lie. They were her and Sportacus’ friends. She needed an answer. Whether she liked it or not, they were coming to their own conclusions. It was no surprise that they placed blame on the local villain.

“Robbie Rotten is behind this!” Trixie sneered.

It didn’t take long for the others to join her disdain. Stephanie, however, was not having it.

“Robbie Rotten would NEVER do this!” Stephanie shouted.

They looked at her, shocked and confused. Trixie folded her arms and scowled. “How do you know? Robbie’s always trying to get rid of Sportacus! Maybe he’s succeeded!”

“This….” Stephanie hesitated. “This…doesn’t feel like one of Robbie’s schemes.” She shifted in her shoes. “We know Robbie. He’s all disguises and tricky plots. He brags! But Sportacus is gone. When was the last time anyone saw him?”

“Six days ago!” answered Pixel.

“Yeah,” Ziggy agreed. “We were all playing baseball.”

“Right!” she nodded. “And then we all went home to go to bed. We haven’t seen him since he went to his own home.” Stephanie pointed upwards for dramatic effect. To her relief, her friends turned to the sky where Sportacus’ airship was lazily drifting by.

“I guess that’s true,” Trixie relented.

“So, maybe he’s in his home,” Stephanie pressed.

“But if that’s the case,” Stingy started. “Then why hasn’t he answered any of our letters? Especially mine.”

“He could be sick,” she excused.

“Sportacus? Sick?” Ziggy shook his head. “I don’t think so. He’s the most super duper hero ever! How could he get sick?”

“He’s only human?” was all Stephanie could offer, knowing well that it was untrue. She didn’t see why she had to lie. LazyTown would love him whether he was elf or human. He was their hero and their friend.

“Then let’s go get him!” Ziggy rallied as he started to climb a tree.

“What? Ziggy! What are you doing?”

“Climbin’. If Sportacus is sick, then we should go check on him.

“How is climbing a tree going to help?” Stingy asked.

“Yeah! Sportacus’ airship is like a million miles in the air!” Trixie shouted.

“We’ll never be able to reach it.”

“That’s what you guys say!” Ziggy placed his foot on a precariously fragile branch. “But I know Sportacus and he would be able to make it to his airship by climbing a single tree! With a blindfold! With one hand tied behind his back! And-“

The children never found out what the end of Ziggy’s rant was. The fragile branch broke away and Ziggy was sent tumbling to the ground. They closed their eyes, not wanting to see the awful fall, but it never came. Ziggy found himself being carried by his favorite blue-clad superhero.

“Sportacus!” Ziggy gasped. “You saved me!”

“You’re back!”

“We missed you!”

“Was it Robbie?”

“Where have you been?”

“Stephanie said that you were sick!”

Sportacus laughed and nodded. “I was sick! Very sick!” he coughed for an added effect. “I was stuck in my bed and I couldn’t do anything. I’m very sorry that I made you worry. It wasn’t my intention, but I had to stay away from people for five days to make sure that I did not get anyone else sick.”

It was a decent lie and one that the children bought easily.

“You were in your airship sick all by yourself?”

“Sportacus, that’s not healthy!”

“What if you needed help?”

They chatted away, filled with concern and fear. Stephanie let them have their moment. It wasn’t fair that they were kept in the dark as long as they were, but it was out of her hands. She hoped that maybe he would tell them but judging by how he played into the lie she told, it didn’t seem likely.

“I’m all better now,” Sportacus smiled. “Why don’t you all go to the Sports’ Field? I’ll meet you there!”

Ziggy, Pixel, Trixie, and Stingy ran off. Stephanie envied them. They didn’t know what she knew or how close they’d all come to losing Sportacus.

“Stephanie…” he started to say. “Robbie told me what happened and – Stephanie?”

The young pink-haired girl could not hold back her tears anymore. She ran to him and hugged him as tightly as she could. “I was so worried!”

“I know,” he nodded. “I’m sorry. You shouldn’t have had to seen that. I was careless and stupid. I wasn’t a very good hero.”

“You looked dead,” she whimpered. “I thought you were.”

“I was….I wasn’t in the best shape,” Sportacus tried to laugh. It failed terribly. Stephanie could still see the scars from the iron. They were faint, nearly invisible, but they were still there.

“Sportacus? Why did people try to hurt you?”

He didn’t have an answer for her. The Wild was no place for children, especially not Stephanie. 


	2. Chapter 2

There wasn’t a good way to explain bloodshed to children. There simply wasn’t! How did one go about explaining the horrors of war? The disintegration of families? The assimilation into human society? Sportacus himself didn’t know the history well.

Humans rose, they invaded, and blood was spilled.

It happened so long ago. He was but a child when he was ripped from the green paradise that was his home. What he did remember was the screams, the fire, and the sheer panic. The elves, his family, never stood a chance. They fled to the hills and over yonder. It wasn’t enough. It was never enough.

Elves were always on the run and now, as Sportacus held a crying Stephanie in his arms, he feared that he would go on the road again.

“Stephanie, dyrmaett,” it felt suitable that she should be called that. “There are those in this world whose love for what I am is mixed with obsession.” He could still feel the chains on him. “I do not believe they truly meant to –“

“Yes they did!” she cried even harder. “They were going to hurt you! They were going to…to…”

The damage was done. Stephanie knew what death was. Her young life was scarred of magic, murder, and genocide. It was all his fault.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I never meant for this to happen.”

“IT’S NOT YOUR FAULT!” she roared. “It’s not!” Stephanie wiped the tears from her eyes. “It’s theirs! They came into town! They kidnapped you! They were going to hurt you!” Through her tears, Sportacus’ scars seemed to glow. “We don’t care what you are or who you are! You’re our friend! Robbie is our friend and anyone who hurts you, hurts us!”

“Stephanie, dyrmaett, this is not your fight. It’s not yours or anyone else’s.”

“Friends are meant to stick up for each other, Sportacus. You do a lot to keep us safe. Why can’t we do it for you?”

Because it’s not safe, because it’s dangerous, because this war is old and ancient. There were a million reasons. None of them would bring peace to Stephanie. If anything, they would bring her more fear.

“I promise you that what happened in the woods will never happen again.”

“How? They got you once. They could get you again.” Fresh tears threatened to fall. “I have dreams about it.”

“Dreams?”

“Bad dreams,” she clarified. “Nightmares.” Stephanie hugged herself. “They always get you. Sometimes, they get Robbie too. I…I can’t do anything. I just watch and you always…die.”

“I won’t let it happen. The Wild has ways of protecting her children. I was careless, true. But the Children of the Wild have their allies.”

“Like Robbie?”

“Yes! Like Robbie. We have our differences, true, but the bond and background we share prevents things from getting too out of hand.”

“But Robbie -”

Sportacus smiled sheepishly. “Fae are territorial. Elves aren’t allowed to enter or live in areas where Fae already occupy. We have to be invited in.”

“Robbie told me that he wants us to be lazy so he can be left alone. He said that he didn’t understand you. It would be better for Robbie, for you, if we didn’t go out all the time. You guys could live in peace.”

“Stephanie, what I want is much different than peace.”

“What?”

“I want you children to be safe. If you are healthy and active, then you are strong. Children, especially young children, need to be able to protect themselves. But I regret that I am not the best when it comes to cleverness. Elves are not good liars or particularly clever. That would be the Fae. They can come up with lie after lie with ease.”

“Like Robbie?” she asked.

“Like Robbie.” he nodded.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stephanie has nightmares, Robbie has a plan

For a while, after everything, life in Lazytown felt almost normal again.

Almost.

Whereas the general population knew nothing of magic, or ancient wars, or what iron could do to an elf, Stephanie Meanswell could not share that bliss. Her days were spent worrying over every new face that came into town, wondering whether they were here to be friends or to kill the magical people she loved. Each time Sportacus or Robbie were out of her sight, she wondered whether it was of their own volition or were they being kidnapped?

The stress was killing her.

Too many sleepless nights were spent in sheer terror. It was no way to live. One night, gripped in silent fear-fueled panic, Stephanie decided that lying in bed, waiting for the worst to happen was not a good way to live. At the moment, unfortunately, it was the only way she lived. She couldn’t talk to her uncle or her friends. And it didn’t feel right to send a letter to Sportacus in the middle of the night about how scared she was.

She knew, deep down, that he would be fine coming to her aid and helping her get to sleep. Sportacus was a good person, but she knew that he was hiding all of it back. Sportacus knew more than he was letting on. As much as he treated her like an equal, she was still a child and thus he treated her like one. He didn’t want her mixed up in the magical world.

Too bad it wasn’t his choice to make.

She’d seen too much, knew too much, and was irreversibly scarred and scared by what humanity would do if they found elves or fairies. She wanted to know and Sportacus wasn’t going to tell her. This was why, in the middle of night, she was walking to the billboard outside of town in her pajamas with her comforter wrapped around her shoulders like a cape. Robbie would tell her. He didn’t treat her like a child.

Finding the entrance into his lair was easy, climbing down the slim pipe was hard. She was tired, sad, and cranky. Reaching the deep depths of Robbie’s lair, she found that he wasn’t the only one. Robbie, dressed in black and purple striped pajamas, strutted across his lair, gesturing wildly about this latest plan to get rid of Sportacus once and for all.

“-GIANT SLINGSHOT! YES! It’s the perfect trap for him! He’ll never know what hit him until he’s flying a million miles away!”

“Will it work?” she piped up, shuffling her feet across the cold floor.

Robbie jumped and took on a defensive pose. He relaxed immediately. “What are you doing here?”

“I couldn’t sleep,” Stephanie mumbled, rubbing her eyes.

“And you decided to come here because…?”

“I thought you would be up.”

She was right and Robbie hated that. “What do you expect me to do about it?”

“Can I stay with you? Please?”

Maybe it was the way she looked at him with those sad mournful eyes, the way she pouted ever so slightly, or the fact that he wanted someone to bounce ideas off of, but he found that he couldn’t turn her away. Robbie motioned for her to sit in his chair. She gladly climbed up into the massive orange chair and sat. Robbie set the scene for her. Sportacus, doing his normal jumps and flips would blindly set foot in the path of the giant slingshot. They talked for hours. Somewhere between the construction of the slingshot and Robbie complimenting himself on his sheer brilliance, Stephanie managed succumb to the lure of sleep.

“Good girl.”

It didn’t take much for him to figure out why Stephanie was really there. She was scared. Her world had changed. There was little doubt in his mind that Sportacus meant well in trying to keep Stephanie in the dark about the magical world they lived in. Hunters, scalpers, and every other dark aspect of humanity was not meant for young children. It was a grown-up problem. Their problem.

And now it was Stephanie’s problem.

She knew what the world was like. She no longer felt safe or secure. Sportacus was doing his best with his limited knowledge on children. However, it was with children that Robbie could finally beat him. Stephanie needed to feel safe, she needed to feel secure, more importantly, she needed to know that she could do something instead of nervously waiting on the sidelines.

What Stephanie needed more than anything at this moment was magic.

He could, no he would, teach her everything that he knew. Every single spell, every curse, every trick and disguise would be at her disposal. The town had an elf, a fairy, and now, it would have a witch.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ha-Ha-Ha, I don't know where this is going.

“ALDREI!”

Sportacus was not as inclined to the idea of Stephanie learning magic as Robbie was. The elf was fuming. Every inch of his muscular frame was shaking in anger. 

“I didn’t have to tell you, you know. I’m doing this as a curtesy call.” Robbie kept calm and cool. 

“Robbie, you can’t involve her! It’s not safe! You have no right to drag her into this mess!”

“I’m not teaching her the big stuff, just enough that she can take care of herself.”

“Take care of herself?! That is the BIG STUFF! I won’t have you arming her! She is a child, not a soldier.”

“Lower your voice, Sportadork,” growled Robbie. “I’m not the enemy here. I’m trying to help.”

“I will,” Sportacus rubbed his face in frustration. “I’m sorry, Robbie. I didn’t mean to shout, but how could you be so reckless. Magic isn’t something that you can just introduce to a child. There has to be skill within them and their instructor must be the best in the world!”

“I know! That’s why I’m teaching her.”

“I meant no offense.”

“None taken. I’ll have you know that she’s one of the brightest people I’ve ever had the pleasure of teaching magic to.”

“How many people have you taught magic to?”

“Just the one, but still. Stephanie has a bright future ahead of her. Besides, this place could use a witch.”

“Witchcraft is a hard thing to learn. What if the other children notice that she’s…different?” Sportacus fretted. “What if other people learn about her? What if they try and find her like they did to me? Robbie, I can’t, I won’t allow Stephanie to be hurt like I was and so many of my people before me. Robbie, please, let Stephanie have a normal life. Don’t do this to her.”

He scoffed. “I don’t think you realize how badly she needs to do this. Sportacus, we’re magic. It rubs off on everything near us. You’ve spent so much time around Stephanie that she smells like elf. One day, other hunters will come looking for us. They’ll have their fancy tricks and tools, but the second they see Stephanie, they won’t see a human little girl, but a member of the Wild. I can tell you from past experience that hunters are harder on children than adults.”

“They wouldn’t….”

“You know it’s true.”

Robbie was right. Sportacus’ heart sank terribly. The usually self-confident elf crumbled into a mess of fear and distress. 

“Cheer up,” Robbie smiled, patting him on the back. “It’s not all so bad. She’s learning fast. Stephanie has real talent, particularly with her disguises.”

“Oh really?” He could barely muster any enthusiasm. 

“Oh yes. Stephanie?” Robbie called out. “Sweetie, please come here. Show Sportacus your best disguise.”

Sportacus was too busy looking at the floor. He heard Stephanie’s shoes against the cold hard pavement of Robbie’s lair. 

“Here I am!” Stephanie said.

“Well, Sportacus? Go check out her disguise.”

Wearily, he raised his head. What he saw shocked him. Standing before him, in her pink dress, was Stephanie. She looked the same except for one small detail. Her ears. They were perfectly pointed. She was the quintessential image of a young elf. 

“How do I look?” she asked, her proud smile fading a little. “Sportacus?”

Sportacus nearly cried. He hugged her tight, trying hard to fight the tears forming. “You look perfect, dyrmaett,” he choked. “Absolutely perfect.” He sobbed. 

“Please don’t cry, Sportacus, I can do better.”

“No, no, you don’t have to, you really do look perfect, Stephanie.”

His heart ached. Through his tears, he saw Robbie looking too smug and happy. Sportacus knew when he was beat. Stephanie would learn magic, but he would be damned if he didn’t teach her elf magic.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do I have a plot for this story? No. Not at all. Do I love Sportacus and Robbie being magical teachers/parents to Stephanie? Yes!

“Sportacus?” Stephanie asked. “Why are we here?”

It was a misty morning in May. The sun had barely peeked over the horizon and the forest was still and quiet. The only figures walking about were Stephanie and Sportacus. The Elf led the way through the forest and the tree while Stephanie kept up.

“You know fairy magic, yes? But what of elf magic?”

“Mmm, not a lot. Robbie said that elf magic was…complicated,”

“He did, did he?”

“Yeah, Robbie said that elf magic was different than normal magic. He didn’t really go into how though. He said that it comes from the outside.”

“Well, Robbie is correct to an extent. Fae magic comes from within. For example, a Fae’s magical energy comes from how much stamina they possess.”

“But Robbie’s really lazy. He doesn’t do anything.”

“To the untrained eye, yes, but Robbie is a different case. He stockpiles his magic. He bottles it up for whatever he needs that is why he is so lazy. He’s got so much magic stored away…Robbie is, in my humble opinion, the most powerful Fae in centuries.”

“Wow!” Stephanie's eyes were aglow. “Can he teach me to do that?”

“Maybe one day…if you flatter him enough. But for Elves, our magic comes externally. We use the environment, borrow the magic that surrounds us, and use it to our capabilities. Robbie is teaching you Fae magic, correct?”

“Yes,” she nodded.

“Then it is proper that I teach you Elf magic. Would you like me to be your teacher?”

Stephanie nodded excitedly. “Yes!”

She was up for anything! Magic! Real magic was her’s to learn. Whatever it took, she would learn it…..that was the attitude she had two weeks ago. Now, as she sat in Robbie’s lair, she bemoaned the tiny pot of soil that Sportacus had given her. Robbie descended from the ladder and made himself comfortable in his chair. He snuggled up and allowed himself a cruel smirk when he saw his pupil looking absolutely miserable at her Sportacus given assignment.

“I see he’s given you the old pot of soil assignment,” Robbie chuckled.

“I can’t make it work, Robbie….” She whined.

“No one makes it work the first time around,” he said, getting cozy. “That soil trick is one of the oldest magic tests in history.

“Can you help me?” she pleaded. “Pretty please?”

“No can do, little girl. This is something you’ll have to do on your own.”

“But Robbie!”

“No ifs, no butts, not coconuts!”

“But Sportacus said that you’re the most powerful Fae in centuries. Can’t you give me some instruction? Please?”

Robbie eyed Stephanie carefully. “Sportacus said that about me?”

She nodded wearily. “Uh-huh.”

“Hmm…well, if that’s the case…it wouldn’t be against the rules to give you some instruction. After all other Elven children have their families to teach them and they get years on personal one-on-one time. You’ve only got Sportadork and yours truly.”

“So, you’ll really help me?”

“I can’t stand to see someone less talented than me suffer,” he said with a flourish. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”

“Not much,” Stephanie sighed. “Sportacus told me that before he could teach me, I had to make a flower grow. He didn’t say how but he said that I would know it when I feel it.”

“And what do you feel?”

“Frustrated!” was her quick response. “A little angry…a lotta sad too.”

“Sad?” Robbie’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Why sad?”

“Cause Sportacus really wants to teach me Elf magic and I can’t do it!” she replied, tears stinging her eyes. “I want to learn! I do! But I don’t know how and I don’t want to go back to Sportacus and tell him that I can’t do it because he thinks that I can and I don’t wanna disappoint him, Robbie, but if I can’t do Elf magic, he’s gonna be so sad and then we can’t learn together and I want to learn and-“

“I got it! I got it! Stephanie, sweetie, you’re going to need to learn to breathe, okay? Just breathe?” he wrapped his arms around her. “I know that you don’t want to disappoint him. I also know that if he believes that if you can make a flower grow then you can. Elf magic is hard, not to say that Fae magic is easy, but it means drawing in from your environment. You have to feel nature flowing through you.”

“I don’t know how,” Stephanie sniffled. “I don’t feel anything like that.”

“I know. It’ll be some time before you do, but I promise you that I will help you learn how to do this if it’s the last thing that I do, okay?”

She sighed and nodded. “Okay.”

“That’s my girl. Now, go to bed. I won’t have my star pupil not getting her required sixteen hours of sleep!”

Robbie would be the first person in LazyTown to brag about Stephanie’s magical prowess. The girl may have been born a human but she was on the fast track to becoming one of the finest witches in the world. Which was why he didn’t understand why she was having such a hard time with some Elf magic. It was true that it took more concentration than Fae, but it was a flower. It was basic. It was easy. It should have been a walk in the park for a girl like Stephanie. Or it would have been had there been a seed to sprout in the pot. It was completely empty. Rage took over Robbie as he met Sportacus for a secret meeting.

“You didn’t give her anything to grow, Sportadork. She’s been stressing herself out for days because you didn’t give her anything to grow!”

“It is how the test is conducted. I need to know that she’s dedicated to learning.”

“I’ve already started her on the basics! She’s already dedicated to learning! There’s no need for you to do this to her!”

“The Old Rules state –“

“To hell with the Old Rules! This is Stephanie that we’re talking about her. You know her!”

“I do! That is why I cannot go easy on her. She needs to be taught the same way that any Elf would be taught by his or her parents.”

“Newsflash! We’re. Not. Her. Parents! We don’t have to play by the Old Rules rules! We can make our own up as we go.”

“That’s not fair to Stephanie. She deserves proper instruction.”

“Oh yeah? Like the kind you gave her? I don’t know why you’re being so hard on her. She wants to learn, she already knows some Fae magic….what is wrong with you, Sportacus? Stephanie isn’t like the humans that chased us. She’s a good girl.”

“I know, that is why I need to be hard on her. Fae magic comes from within, Elf magic comes –“

“External, I know.”

“From the people we surround ourselves with too. Stephanie, if she continues, will learn to draw upon the people she surrounds herself with.”

“Magical draining?” Robbie gasped. “No…that’s that’s old and gone. No one uses that anymore. It’s too dangerous.”

“She’ll pick up on it. It happens to the untrained. They don’t realize where they’re getting their energy from until it’s too late. Stephanie needs to learn control and patience. It’s too easy to take magic from the nearest person. It’s better to wait and to take it from a source that will not suffer for it.”

Robbie shifted uncomfortably on his heels. “Are you…are you speaking from personal experience?”

“I’d rather not say, but Robbie? Please believe me when I say that I am doing this out of love. The sooner she learns to focus on a single object, the better we will all be.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I swear that this has something of a plot or something.

Stephanie freely admitted that she knew nothing about gardening at least when compared to Sportacus and Robbie. However, she did know that sooner or later plants needed fresh soil and a better atmosphere. As her little seed hadn’t sprouted yet, she decided that it was time for a change of scenery. More than anything in the world, she wanted her little seed to sprout. In a sunny afternoon, when no one was paying her any attention, she slipped away to the community garden.

The hole she dug for her tiny plant was barely noticeable among the lush vegetables and fruits. Stephanie placed her hands onto the freshly dug spot. She thought hard of a plant, her little plant, blooming and growing and thriving. It had to work. It just had to.

It was the tiniest thing magic. It was so powerful and yet, so subtle. Like a faint scent on the breeze, it permeated everything. For someone like Stephanie, whose constant companions were of elite magical skill, she developed an excess of magic on her person. She smelled like an Elf, she could disguise herself like a Fairy, and had wonder in her eyes. The little girl had no idea what she was capable of. Her simple wish of making a seedless plant grow was going to go beyond what she or anyone else expected.

Delicately, she tried to make it grow like Sportacus had shown her. Her eyes closed in concentration, she was blind to the phenomena happening around her. The plants and trees started to whither and decay. While it was true that there was nothing in the pot of soil she put into the ground, it didn’t mean that there was nothing below it. An errant acorn long since buried was awaken by the sudden influx of magical growth.

It was time to grow.

It shot up like a rocket and took the life of every plant in the garden. The famous beanstalk had nothing on the mighty oak that was now growing without any intention of stopping. It went from seedling, to sapling, to a giant. It went past thirty-feet, gone by fifty, and kept going and going. The giant monster of an oak easily caught the eye of all the citizens of LazyTown.

“Oh goodness! What is that?” Bessie shouted.

“Someone call Sportacus!” Ziggy shouted.

Of course, the hero of the town wouldn’t not need to be called by his usual measures. As his blimp was casually floating by, it was struck by an branch the size of a steel beam with the force of a missile. The blimp crashed by the Elf was unharmed by the sudden drop in altitude. He emerged from his home, now ruined, and spotted the oak growing at such a hurried pace.

“Oh no…” He shook his head and took off running.

Sportacus wasn’t the only magical being into town to take notice of the monster oak tree. In the safety of his lair, Robbie found himself hacking away at the tree’s root system like there was no tomorrow. But for every hefty root he hacked away, another seven took it’s place.

“THAT’S IT!”

He spread his wings, a rare and beautiful sight, and took off. He flitted through the skies, spotting Sportacus in a instant. He dove down to the ELF and exclaimed, “WHAT IN THE WILD WERE YOU THINKING? I’ve got roots everywhere in my home!”

“It’s not me!”

“Then wh-“ Robbie’s eyes grew wide and startled. “STEPHANIE!”

Sportacus ran faster and faster and Robbie flew as fast as his swings would allow him. They arrived to the garden with every single member of the town, except for Stephanie, gawking at the enormous tree. Robbie was lucky they were too busy looking upward to see his magnificent purple wings.

“Robbie…”

“You don’t have to tell me twice.”

This display of magic was too much to be easily explained away. It called for skilled illusion. A tree was too obvious, but a storm, something that could be as big as the tree that was perfect! Robbie worked as fast as he could. His skilled fingers toying with the air, mixing it with heavy magic. Before they knew it, they were under his spell. They forgot the tree and it’s gigantic growth and saw a tornado.

“OH! EVERYONE INSIDE! QUICKLY!”

The citizens of LazyTown fled as if their lives. When they were gone from view, Robbie turned and saw Sportacus scowling at him.

“Hey, I got them to leave. Don’t complain.”

He didn’t and started to climb the tree. Robbie sighed. “What are you doing?”

“Climbing.”

“Yeah, I can see that. Why are you not doing it right way?”

“Because I dare not to interfere with the spell,” Sportacus grunted.

“I’ve seen Elves run up trees. You can literally defy gravity under the right conditions!”

“Yes, but not for miles!”

“Then I’ll fly you up.”

Before Sportacus could dare protest, Robbie already had a grip on him and was flying him far into the skies.

“Robbie! You’re very strong!” he gasped.

“And you’re freakin’ heavy!”

The unlikely pair flew to the tops of the trees. In it’s hefty leaves and branches that were as thick as sequoias, they found themselves lost in a forest. Robbie dropped Sportacus off on the first stable branch that he found while he himself rested on a leaf.

“I…am,” he panted. “…out….of…shape.”

“Robbie? Are you okay?”

The Fae waved the Elf off. “I’m tired. Need to catch my…ah…second wind.”

“You stay here, I’ll go and find Stephanie.”

It was a great plan and with the sheer exhaustion coming onto him, Robbie could not protest. Through the branches and leaves, the canopy of the tree was a world of it’s own. It would have been impossible to find Stephanie, but Stephanie had the scent of an Elf now. It wasn’t hard to find one of his own. In the heart of the canopy, asleep from the exertion of the spell, was Stephanie. He picked her up, as carefully as he could, and made his way back to Robbie.

When he returned, the Fae in question had fallen asleep where he laid, but he opened his eyes when he heard the approaching footsteps of Sportacus. “I see you found her. Heh, she’s out like a light.”

“Robbie?”

“Hmm?”

“What are we?”

Teaching magic was reserved for wise elders, skilled children of the Wild, or one’s family. As Stephanie rested in his arms, he did not know what they were or even if they should be doing what they were doing anymore.

“We’re parents, Sportacus,” Robbie said with a proud lazy smile. “We’re parents.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robbie is the most emotionally mature person and Sportacus has feelings

In the lair of Robbie Rotten, a serious discussion was being held. The Fae whose home was now home to an Elf and a young witch, was making plans on the witch’s future much to the Elf’s dismay. But the Elf had no say or if he did, it held little opinion to the Fae.

“Couldn’t we –“ Sportacus tried to speak.

“No,” Robbie replied, hacking away at the roots that invaded his home. “She’s too powerful. She needs to have her powers curbed.”

“I don’t want to discourage her, Robbie.”

“I’m not saying that we do this to discourage her, but damn it, I’ve got roots here! The town saw everything! Until she’s able to dial it back a notch, Stephanie needs to wear limiters.”

“But limiters –“ he protested.

“I don’t see what the big flippin’ deal is with you and limiters! They’re not dangerous! They’re not that hard to make! Hell, I could make a couple right here and right now, but I can’t because of these stupid branches cause Stephanie took what you taught her and she went to the next level! Why, for the love of my devilish good looks and brilliant mind can’t we give her limiters? They’re standard in Elf society if I remember correctly.”

“They’re not just standard, Robbie,” Sportacus pouted. “They’re special. A child receives their limiters from their parents when they show great skill in magic and –“

“And what? Hey, I said in the tree that we’re here parents.”

“But we are not. Stephanie belongs to neither of us.”

“So?”

“So! Teaching her a few spells, maybe a disguise or two is nothing much in the scheme of things but –“

“Whoa, wait. Who said that I was going to teach her a few spells? Sportacus, I’m going to give her the best damn education that she can get.”

“You can’t be serious!” he looked up in alarm.

“Sure, I am. Why not?”

“Because it’s dangerous! I thought that we agreed that –“

“We agreed that Stephanie spends enough time with us that no matter who comes looking for an ELF or a FAE, they’ll see Stephanie and think that she’s one of us. I’m going to teach her everything. What’s the problem? You’ve been acting weird since we got back…actually since this whole thing started. What’s going on with you?”

Sportacus stopped his nervous fidgeting and said, “Nothing! Nothing, it’s just we’re doing a lot and….”

“No, we’re not. I’ve been doing the heavy lifting. You barely wanna teach her a single thing. What’s really going on here?”

“What’s going on?” Sportacus nearly laughed. “You’re teaching her magic, you’re wanting to get her limiters, and you said that we’re here parents, but we’re not! This is a massive responsibility that we’re undertaking. How can you be so flippant?”

“Are…Are you upset that we’re not her parents? Is this a relationship issue?” Robbie asked, tilting his head as he leaned on the axe.

“Relationships are special, Robbie! Elves…we don’t….this isn’t how things are done!”

“I’m aware of that, Sportacus, but hey, we don’t do a lot of things the way they used to be done. You don’t see me with my wings out anymore and Elves don’t show off their ears. We have to change with the times.”

“I know,” he admitted. “But…this is all going too fast for me…”

“I want it down on the record that for once in my life I was able to move faster than you.”

“Will you please be serious?! Teaching children magic is done by parents, the gifting of limiters to children is done by parents, watching over the children as they grow and learn is a job for…”

“Parents. Yeah, I got it….and we’re not her parents. So?”

“So, what if something happens to her? What if hunters take her, what if other members of the Wild find out she is human, or if the other children notice the changes? What will we do? We will be responsible for her. She would be ours.”

“Easy. Kill the hunters, witches are allowed in the Wild due to the Druid Clause, and if the kids notice any weird changes then we’ll say she’s going through puberty. Believe it or not, Sportacus, but I did think this one through. There’s not a flaw in my plan!”

“Which magic will we focus on?”

“All of it. Fae, Elf, and whatever she gravitates to.”

Sportacus was not yet satisfied. “Are you truly serious about raising her…as if she was your own?”

“As serious as the plague. What about you?”

Sportacus sat deep in thought for a minute or two. “I believe I have limiters in my airship…” he stated softly.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stephanie gets some backstory and there's still a plot in this story?

Sportacus had seen the horrors of the world.

He was but a child when his home was burned by humans. In one day, under a bright red sky, he lost everything. His parents? Dead. His siblings? Scattered in the wind. His community? Reduced to ashes. Sportacus was one of the lucky ones. Where other Elven children were carted away, he escaped to the safety of the Wild. As long as he lived, there would be no way he could ever forget the sound of his fellow Elven children made as they were kidnapped.

Sportacus was not an idiot. He knew what the humans were capable of. The adults were the worst, but children were innocent. They could be taught to respect the world and the creatures that lived there. Or he had hoped that they could. So far, it seemed to be the case. The children of Lazytown welcomed him with open arms. They loved him.

And Stephanie….

Now she knew. She knew everything that there was to know. He was an Elf. Robbie? A Fae. She saw the secret world of magic. She saw the harm done to children of the Wild by members of her own race. It startled her, gave her nightmares, and made her scared of the world.

It was Robbie’s idea to teach her, to arm her with magic.

Personally, Sportacus hoped that she would forget everything and pretend that it never happened. There were moments were he hoped that would still be the case. However, Stephanie was progressing smoothly with her studies. She showed a real flair for magic and one day with dedication and practice, she would become one of the finest witches around. Ah, but magic was special. Parents taught their children. They were the ones who gave them limiters should the need call for it.

In the wreckage of his airship, Sportacus found them. Limiters – they took on the appearance of earrings. Pale silvery blue with sapphires across the edges. They were stunning. A rare gift if ever there was one. Once upon a time, before he had a grasp on his magic and skill, they were his. Limiters were a family gift to be passed down from parent to child. It was tradition.

It was a sign of family pride.

And now, by giving Stephanie his limiters, she would become a member of his family. He always thought that one day, if the conditions were right, if the community was ever rebuilt, he would be passing down these limiters to his children. Ah, but as the years passed and the infrequent communication with the Elven World ceased, that dreamed had died.

Now, suddenly, it was resurrected.

Robbie may have been confident in his own strange but charming parenting techniques, but Sportacus was quaking in his shoes. He would be moving from guardian to the children to parental guardian. He would need to be there for her in every stage, every hardship, and every failure. No more could be he concerned her the petty day to day. He had a child to raise.

There were concerns of course. How was she to be raised? Would they celebrate Elven or Fae Holidays? Would her magic be more dependent on the internal or external? What if she met another member of the Wild? What if she too was hunted like so many before them? What if she regretted everything that came with learning magic? She could never go back to the world that she once knew.

Once Sportacus held the limiters in his hand and the racing thoughts of Stephanie entered his mind, he knew that was Robbie said to him was correct. They were parents. Whereas the Fae didn’t need any paper or heartfelt emotion to declare a child as their own, the Elves were different. Elves stayed within their immediate family. There was no such thing as an Elven adoption. Ah, but the Fae? All they had to do was look at a child and decide “This one is mine and mine alone and I shall raise them”.

He wished he could make it happen that easy. Parenthood was new to him as was adoption. He would Stephanie as if she was his, but she wasn’t. She had parents. Real flesh and blood parents out there and…Sportacus frowned. Where were Stephanie’s parents anyways? The more he thought about it, the more it disturbed him. How long had she been in Lazytown and yet, there was no mention of her mother or father? Not even a letter or a phone call…where were they?

Sportacus tucked the limiters carefully away and flipped himself over to the Mayor’s home. Surely, as Stephanie’s uncle, he would have answers. Sportacus found the elected official in his office trying to organize his notes without much luck.

“Mayor Meanswell?” Sportacus knocked.

“Oh! Come in, come in! What can I do for you today?”

“Mayor?” Sportacus hestitated for a moment. “May I ask you a rather personal question?”

“Fire away, dear man! What would you like to know?”

“Well…it concerns Stephanie and…please know that I mean no offense but I couldn’t help but notice that she never speaks about her parents.”

Mayor Meanswell blinked once, then twice and said as if he was discussing the weather, “I don’t see why she would,” he shrugged. “They’ve been dead for years.”

“I’m so sorry!” Sputtered Sportacus.

“Don’t be,” he replied unoffended. “You couldn’t have possibly known.”

“Then who was –“

“Her older sister, Stella, was for sometime. Ah, but you know to be so young and raising a child by yourself….that’s hard. Stephanie is what Stella likes to call a “transitional” phase. She’s come to live with me until well…forever, I guess.”

“You guess?” Sportacus gasped. “But her sister, wouldn’t she want to-“

“Stella was twenty-one when Stephanie was born. She had her own life to live and still does.”

“Do you actually believe that?” His opinion on this Stella souring by the second.

“Hmm…a little, but I don’t let it bother me. I hadn’t seen Stephanie since she was born and I’m just happy to have her in town!”

“Ah, I see…” he muttered, the fear in his heart slowly subsiding.

“Is everything okay, Sportacus?”

“Oh, yes it is, Mayor Meanswell! I was just curious. Stephanie always sends me letters,” he lied. “And I just assumed that she would be missing her parents but I never saw her send one to them and –“ he was rambling. Internally, he scowled. Robbie made lying look so easy. “I’m fine. Thank you for your time, Mayor.”

“Happy to oblige!”


	9. Chapter 9

It was decided that the gifting of limiters called for a little celebration. After all, an Elf and a Fae didn’t take to adopting a human and training her into a witch every day. Stephanie was informed of the time and place and Sportacus who seemed to be teetering on the brink of an anxiety attack couldn’t help but confide in Robbie, “We’re doing the right thing, right?”

“Of course, we are Sportadork. Stephanie needs us. Who else is she going to learn magic from?”

“Yes, but what if she doesn’t want us?”

Robbie made a face. “Stephanie? Not want us? Excuse me, sir, but look who you are talking to! I am the greatest and you are the flippy-est. Who wouldn’t want us?”

“I suppose you have a point.”

“I always do and I’m always right. Stephanie will want us, we’ll teach her magic, and we’ll all be one unconventional family.”

“Speaking of family,” Sportacus suddenly looked concerned. “Stephanie, she does not…her parents, Robbie, they are gone.”

The Fae frowned. “Gone? Like fishing, vacation, or shuffled off this mortal coil?”

“Mortal coil.” Sportacus dutifully replied. “This is a big responsibility we’re taking.”

“We can handle this.” And they would have to. Stephanie was depending on them to teach her magic.

Robbie didn’t like to brag (Okay, maybe a little brag, but he was so proud of himself for this) but he was sure that the present that he was going to give Stephanie would definitely make him her favorite. Sure, Sportacus was giving her limiters but the present that he had in store was going to one-up Sportacus and give Stephanie’s magic a total boost. There wasn’t a true plan or party to give her the items, it was a more scrambled affair with little forethought put into it, but what mattered most was giving Stephanie the tools she needed to be the best witch of them all.

At a quarter to two, in the woods surrounding LazyTown, Robbie had a set up a small tent and spread for the occasion. He stored his gift under the table and was preparing for the exact moment when Stpehanie’s eyes would light up at the sight of the present. Sportacus showed up before Stephanie and in his hands, he carried a small box.

“Are those the limiters?” Robbie asked.

“Yes,” Sportacus proudly held up the box. “Do you think she will like them?”

“It’s Stephanie and it’s a present from you,” Robbie stated. “Ask yourself that question again. Now, the real question is how do you think she will like my present?”

“You got her a present too?” he asked, his eyes aglow with excitement. “What is it?”

“Oh, I’m not telling. You’ll have to see when she opens it.”

“That’s not fair. I want to know too,” Sportacus whined.

“Life’s not fair,” Robbie replied sticking his tongue out. “Where’s the kid?”

“She should be here soon.”

“Robbie! Sportacus!” Stephanie shouted as she ran through the clearing. “I’m here! I’m here,” she panted.

“About time, Pinky. I was starting to think that you never would show up.”

“Sorry, but I wanted to fix something up since you two have been so nice to me.”

Sportacus smiled. “Stephanie, you don’t have to do anything for-“

“Speak for yourself, Sporty. What’d ya get us kid?”

“This!” From her backpack, she got out a small pack of cake pops in the colors of blue and purple. The purple pops had a devilish smile on them with the number one painted in white whereas the blue had smiley faces with a ten. “Robbie’s have a lot of sugar and Sportacus, yours are completely healthy.”

“Are you sure?”

“I followed the book!”

“Sweet sugar, these are good,” Robbie stated having no less than three pops at a time. “This was the best decision I’ve ever made. Alright, now onto business.” Robbie cleared his throat and state, “As you know, we are you teachers.”

“Yep.” Stephanie nodded.

“And we’re also the resident Fae and Elf.”

“Right.”

“And that being said, Sportacus and I have decided that because we’re taking you on, we’re also going to be inducting you into the Wild Society. As you have not a drop of Wild blood in you, Sportacus and I will be your guardians of-“

“Guardians?” Stephanie asked. “So, you and Sportacus would be like my dads?”

“In a sense,” Sportacus jumped in. “Only if you want us. Witches need to have a guardian to-“

“Of course, I want you!” Stephanie exclaimed like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “I love you two.”

Sportacus did nothing to hide his tears. Robbie, who swore that the glistening of his eyes was due to allergies, bravely continued on. “As Sportacus was saying, we would be your guardians. Your parents so to speak. Are you cool with that, Pinky?”

Stephanie nodded and hugged both Sportacus and Robbie as tightly as she could. The firm control Robbie held on his emotions broke forth like a dam. Ugly crying was had by all. Robbie eventually broke free of the vice-like grip that Stephanie had. “Okay, okay, get a grip people. This is a celebration, not a funeral. Um, Sportacus? You wanna go first?”

The Elf nodded and happily presented his present to Stephanie. The young girl held the small blue box in her hands. With an encouraging look from her brand new father, she opened it. “Oh earrings! They’re so pretty!”

“They’re more than pretty,” Sportacus smiled. “They are to aid you in your studies. Stephanie, you are a brilliant and talented witch, but you still need to learn how to control your new powers. These earrings will allow you to do so.”

“Really?”

“Think of them like training wheels for magic,” Robbie explained. “Now open up my gift! It’s the best one!” He shoved a long brightly wrapped package into her arms. She tore it open with the utmost excitement. Stephanie nearly screamed with joy when she saw her present.

It was a broomstick. 

A sleek polished broomstick with her name engraved in gold on the side of the handle. “Is this a real broomstick?” she breathlessly asked.

“You got it, kiddo!” Robbie grinned. “Unlike moi, you mortals can’t fly. So, why not a broomstick?”

“Sportacus, can you fly?”

The Elf shrugged. “In a manner of speaking, yes, but this is a great gift for you! You’ll be able to reach all sorts of new heights!”

Stephanie gripped her broomstick and smiled proudly at her new fathers. “I’m going to make you proud!”


End file.
